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Barack Obama's mosque moment irks Democrats

President Obama's comments about the mosque were made without informing Democratic party elites. |
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Despite press reports to the contrary, none of them counseled Obama to dodge the issue — not even Emanuel, who knew well that the issue could be used a cudgel against moderate and conservative Democrats he helped elect as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee during the 2006 and 2008 cycles.

“Give me a break,” Emanuel e-mailed POLITICO when asked about a press report that he had opposed the move. “We all stand behind and support the president’s decision.”

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No one supported Obama more forcefully than Jarrett, Obama’s close friend and the administration’s liaison to the civil rights community, who told people she thought the mosque issue was a matter of core Democratic principle, according to several sources familiar with her actions.

And Axelrod, a canny tactician with a keen sensitivity to political danger, didn’t dissuade his boss from jumping in, citing his own parents’ experiences with religious persecution as Jews in Europe.

“It makes me uncomfortable when government starts deciding which religions can build and which can't,” Axelrod told an associate. “It makes me uncomfortable when we stigmatize a particular faith. That's not what America is all about.”

Despite a reputation for calibration and caution, Obama has shown a surprising damn-the-torpedoes streak on issues he feels most passionately about, like his off-the-cuff pronouncement, in July 2009, that Cambridge Police acted “stupidly” by arresting Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates.

Yet, even the explosive race issues raised by Obama’s Gates intervention (defused by the famous “Beer Summit”) were potentially less damaging than Obama’s stance on the mosque. For all the hand-wringing by congressional Democrats, Obama’s decision poses an equal, perhaps greater, danger to the president himself.

At the time of the Gates controversy a year ago, Obama was at around 50 percent in the most polls. He now finds himself in the low- to mid-40s less than three months ahead of the midterm elections.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, the campaign of misinformation about Obama’s religion and birthplace are gaining an alarming foothold outside of far-right circles.

Forty-three percent of Americans don’t know Obama is a Christian, with a jaw-dropping 18 percent now believing he’s actually a Muslim, according to a Pew poll taken ahead of the mosque dust-up.

The poll also showed that a third of Republicans thought Obama was a Muslim, an equally astounding development considering how many conservatives blasted him for his relationship with his Christian pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

The poll findings added fuel to the firestorm over the mosque and forced the White House into an extraordinary defense of Obama’s beliefs as a Christian.

"The president is obviously a ... is Christian. He prays every day. He communicates with his religious adviser every single day. There’s a group of pastors that he takes counsel from on a regular basis,” Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton told reporters. “And his faith is very important to him.”

Now, that's not to say that religion is without controversy. Recently, attention has been focused on the construction of mosques in certain communities -– particularly New York. Now, we must all recognize and respect the sensitivities surrounding the development of Lower Manhattan. The 9/11 attacks were a deeply traumatic event for our country. And the pain and the experience of suffering by those who lost loved ones is just unimaginable. So I understand the emotions that this issue engenders. And Ground Zero is, indeed, hallowed ground.

But let me be clear. As a citizen, and as President, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. (Applause.) And that includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in Lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances. This is America. And our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable. The principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country and that they will not be treated differently by their government is essential to who we are. The writ of the Founders must endure.

We must never forget those who we lost so tragically on 9/11, and we must always honor those who led the response to that attack -– from the firefighters who charged up smoke-filled staircases, to our troops who are serving in Afghanistan today. And let us also remember who we're fighting against, and what we're fighting for. Our enemies respect no religious freedom. Al Qaeda's cause is not Islam -– it's a gross distortion of Islam. These are not religious leaders -– they're terrorists who murder innocent men and women and children. In fact, al Qaeda has killed more Muslims than people of any other religion -– and that list of victims includes innocent Muslims who were killed on 9/11.

My intention was to simply let people know what I thought, which was that in this country we treat everbody equally in accordance with the law, regardless of race, regardless of religion. I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making a decision to put a mosque there. I was commenting very specifically on the right people have that dates back to our founding. That's what our country is about and I think it's very important, as difficult as some of these issues are, that we stay focused on who we are as a people and what our values are all about.

But it also revealed Obama’s near-addiction to the teachable moment, a determination to lead his party by example instead of engaging, consulting or even informing the Democratic elites of his actions before acting.

you forgot the part about also ignoring the will of the american people he is suppose to represent. It is all about what he wants not what the people want.

Once in a while, in a moment in time, the real, true Obama , I believe, just has an urge to present himself. All I am saying, tax the churches, since the government and therefore the taxpayer now is taking care of the poor and unfortunate. The governemtn now is the church. So all these organizations who buy up the best land taxfree and build thousands of churches, should pay taxes. And that includes the Muslims. The money they build the church with, should be taxed.

The mosque location issue , combined with a Presidential speech on freedom of religion while at a Ramadan celebration dinner at the WH????This WAS NOT the venue to bring up something as tender to the soul of the American people and NYC after we endured an attack 9 years ago by Islamic Terrorists murdering nearly 3000 of our people. Did Obama take that into consideration, or was HIS agenda more important?15 out of the 19 Islamic terrorists on 9.11 were from Saudi, and this mosque is backed by Saudi's, the developer's partner is Saudi and the imam was born in Saudi.

Mr. Obama's Islam roots and 80% of his family may be Muslim but after cancelling Christian prayer day and rarely going to a Christian Church in public, it is doesn't appear to the public he practices what he preaches. The firestorm around his Muslim roots then erupted and questions about his religions still are not dying down. The perception to the public from this event,,is the President's sympathies with Islam, not with the 9.11 victims, family's, and their gravesite. It is what it is, and Obama knew what he was doing. However it was not a wise choice to do at the time, and many question his judgement on this.

Why is it that Democrats get in the most trouble when they're being honest?

Could it be that real Americans find the Democrat's true opinions abhorent? As much as most of us HATE the constant torrent of godawful lies spewed by Dems, it seems the Dems themselves hate honesty from their leaders. Tough position that. :-)

"But it also revealed Obama’s near-addiction to the teachable moment, a determination to lead his party by example instead of engaging, consulting or even informing the Democratic elites of his actions before acting."

Imagine that, a president speaking out for equal treatment of an ethnic group! Without asking permission first! How dare he support the constitution that way.

This article was written as though Obama actually did something wrong. What's wrong is the bigotry and hate of those who oppose the mosque, especially those who reinforce that hate for political gain.

Why should you out-of-touch journalists be so 'surprised' that so many Americans think Obama is a muslim?

Whether he is or not, let's just look at his record:

He was raised a muslim, records show he was registered as a muslim in his Indonesia grade school, he's gone out of his way to toady to the Islamic world (like bowing to the Saudi King), he told the Egyptians leaders he was a muslim and the son of a muslim, and he's treated Israel with the greatest of contempt.

He's on record saying the 'prettiest sound in the world' is the muslim call to prayer in the evening.

He's shown no inclination to attend a christian church regularly.

He didn't attend or show any interest in the National day of Prayer activities in DC.

He's constantly lied about the importance of Islam in American history. Especially 'jaw-dropping' is his claim that Islam is a force for justice, tolerance and equal treatment for all. (Yeah, sure...just explain that to all the jews and christians chased out of Islamic lands, to all the christians who remain in egypt and other islamic controlled land who face constant harassment and discrimination, and to the women who are legally only 1/2 the value of men under Sharia law...not to mention their barbaric justice system).

He's ignored the importance of christianity in the nation's history and has never mentioned how it has contributed to the goal of justice for all. He mentioned nothing about Jesus at Christmastime.

And, in his favorite words: 'let me be clear...' his black liberation church he attended for 20 years under the tutulage of the hater Jeremiah Wright , is not, and NEVER has been, a 'christian church.'

Do some investigating, please. I know it's tough for you journalists to actually SEEK after the truth through some easy research, but the church Obama attended preached hatred and division and was nowhere near to encouraging in its followers the true teachings of Jesus.

sheesh.... You journalists never fail to disappoint in your slack-jawed acceptance of everything the DNC puts out.

He has said he's a christian...perhaps he was at one time, but it sure has gotten diluted over the years.

And once again, o mighty journalistic seeker after the truth, not once have I seen any reference to the fact that the mighty one has spent millions of dollars to PREVENT the release of any of his early documentation, such as his school records, college records, early passports, medical records, etc. Aren't you guys the least bit curious about this?

If Obama is so 'transparent' about everything, why is he hiding so much? Let the records come forth and put all the 'misinformation' to rest. That's all we need and ask for, and it's nothing more than what you guys demanded from Pres. Bush. So why the kid glove treatement for obama?

I'm eager for your answer. (which I know, somehow, that I'll never get...)

1. Obama's first address after becoming the President of the United States was to the Muslim nation via Arab radio stations (everybody forget that?)

2. NASA is not being instructed that one of their main goals is to reach out to the Muslim world to remind them of their "great" contributions to the world (forgive me but I don't believe there were any).

3. Obama has made our country appear weak by bowing to the king of Saudi Arabia and other Muslims.

Example after example can be cited of our President bending over backward to the Muslim people while turning a blind eye to the people of his own country. It's a sad day for America.

Most Americans, no matter what political stripe, agree that freedom of religion applies to all religions. But just because a group has the freedom does not make it 'right'.

Does the Westboro Baptist Church have the freedom to practice their religion?

Yes, it does.

Does it make it right that in practicing their religion they protest military funerals?

No, it doesn't.

Would it be 'right' for them to build a church right next to Arlington Cemetary? They have the freedom to do so. Wouldn't the protest be just as strong against them as it is against the mosque near Ground Zero?

I would certainly hope so.

By not acknowledging the sensitivity of the location and respecting the feelings of those who are so emotionally connected to the area, the mosque developers are not sending the message of tolerance and healing. They are saying, "The heck with you. We want a mosque."

I admire the stance Obama is taking since he is being honest at his own political risk. I wonder if Harry Reid is taking the position of his constituents and not himself due to his difficult reelection. For Pelosi on the other hand, going against it would backfire and cause a Green or Peace and Freedom candidate to win her district.

I admire the stance Obama is taking since he is being honest at his own political risk. I wonder if Harry Reid is taking the position of his constituents and not himself due to his difficult reelection. For Pelosi on the other hand, going against it would backfire and cause a Green or Peace and Freedom candidate to win her district.